Photographer's Rights

Who and what you can photograph in the UK

Photographer's Rights

Who and what you can photograph in the UK

Do I need permission to
photograph someone in public?
No. If you are standing in a public space, you do not
need permission to take their photograph

Do I need
permission to photograph property?
No. If the property can be photographed from a public
place you do not need permission.

What about
if I am on private property?
You need
permission to enter private property and the owner of the
property can impose any conditions they wish on your
entry. This could include a ban on photography or a fee
for taking pictures.

Can a
police officer require that I delete pictures from my
camera or hand over the memory card?
No, not without a warrant.

Where
can't I take photographs?
You need permission to take pictures in Trafalgar Square
and Parliament Square if they are for commercial purposes
(the permission is expensive). There are also some
military sites where photography is banned, but these are
well signed.

Don't
people have a right to privacy?
In UK law there is no specific right to privacy in public
places. The European Convention on Human Rights gives a
'right to private and family life' In UK law you do not
have a right to privacy in a public place.

Can I be
prosecuted for harrassment if I take pictures without
permission?
Very unlikely. in UK law harassment is defined as
acourse of
conductwhich
amounts to harassment of another which the defendant
knows, or ought to know amounts to harassment of another.
Taking a single picture or even several pictures is
unlikely to be considered a course of conduct. [legal
opinion sought]

Can I
take pictures of children in the park?
Yes, and provided the park is considered a public place,
you do not require the permission of the parents. Whether
this is wise or not is up to you to decide (see this
story for example)